Reference no: EM133168864

Ethics Case Part A: Issues of integrity, ethics, and the law arising from events evolving in the relationship between a manufacturing company and a small-town community.

A manufacturing company provides jobs for many people in a small town where employment is not easy to find.  The company has stayed in the town even though it could find cheaper (less costly) workers elsewhere because the workers are loyal to the company due to the jobs it provides.  Over the years the company has developed a very good reputation in the town for taking care of its employees and being a responsible corporate citizen.

The manufacturing process used by the company produces a by-product that for years has been allowed to flow into the town river.  The by-product has been considered harmless, but some people who live near the river have reported illnesses.  The by-product does not currently violate any anti-pollution laws.

1. Argue (1) for and then (2) against the claim that the company's policies and practices are ethical.
2. What stakeholder groups may be impacted by your responses in Question One (1) above?
3. What are the consequences of these corporate policies and practices for these various stakeholder groups?
4. What else do we need to know from this case that we do not yet know?  What information appears to be missing that if included would help you to format a more complete response?
5. If you were in a leadership role with this manufacturing company, what actions (identify at least two - three) could you take to strengthen corporate responsibility, mitigate risk, and balance interests of the stakeholder groups in this community?
6. If you were in a leadership role in this company and were asked to plan a formal press release regarding this matter, what would you say?